Crafting Sustainability

A Few Selected Works

The Carriage House

When this repeat client called for a man-cave, we brought a carriage house that boasts a broad Pennsylvania limestone foundation and flagstone sill, stucco wall finishes, and standing seam metal roofing with snowbirds. The interior features heavy mortise and tenon timber framing insulated with soy-based foam while non-toxic, no-VOC paint adorns all the walls and ceilings. Custom designed and built outswing, remote operated carriage doors provide access, while a floating timber stair with stainless steel railing, cork flooring, and copper detailing add whimsy. All of the interior trim work was milled from a windblown cherry tree from the site.

The Roof Garden

On this tight urban lot we utilized a vegetated roof garden outside the kitchen window to maximize green space. Featuring a cedar, stainless steel, and copper exterior, this small addition lives large on the interior with a bright, daylit space that includes stained concrete floors, floating concrete tread stairs, and old school fixtures to meld the historic original home with a contemporary, modern new space.

The Passive Project

This home, designed as a passive solar project, received LEED for Homes Gold certification, making it one of only a select few in PA - something we're pretty happy to have been involved with. It also won the US Green Building Council Central PA Chapter Green Home of the Year! Completely custom and tailored to the client, it features loads of sustainable technologies, both new and old - there's a lot in this place, but here's a short list: SIPs , photovoltaics, solar thermal panels, a rain water harvesting system, hot water circulation, a geothermal system, occupancy sensors, earth plasters, permeable surfacing, non-toxic finishes, and near spot-on passive solar orientation to name a few. Heavy timber framing mixed with subtle detail, a creative client, and an unorthodox approach made this project a great one to be a part of.

The Oak Porch

We sourced untreated local white oak timbers from a sawmill less than 5 miles from the site and custom cut and prepared them for mortise & tenon construction for this antique style porch. Hand cut, hand chiseled lambs tongue chamfers add detail, while the finished product utilizes hand-wrought post anchors from a local blacksmith and untreated, natural mahogany decking. Hand bent standing seam tin provides the finished roof, with a splash of shine at the plain galvanized gutter and downspout.

The Healthy House

Clean, holistic, quiet, and with a uniquely approachable aesthetic, this home possess character thats hard to come by with most new construction methodology thats out there. The marriage of old world techniques and modern approaches is a theme carried throughout this home - stone for the foundation is from an 1860 tobacco barn that was removed a few miles from the site, antique brick from a neighboring farmstead creates the porch, locally salvaged wood floors, timbers, and ceilings, juxtaposed with clean, geometric and modern lines fill the interior. Custom designed mouldings, casework, and cabinetry are used throughout, as are non-toxic, natural finishes to ensure a healthy, sustainable, one-of-a-kind home.

The Barn

The barn features timber frame construction done with mortise & tenon joinery and oak peg fasteners. An antique brick foundation salvaged from local barns was paired with vertical siding in traditional red color to give it old-world character. Custom sliding and swinging barn doors made from timbers from a local saw mill are protected by a pent roof and small forbay and are hung on hand wrought, custom designed hardware.

The Keys

When one of our favorite clients asked if we'd be willing to work on a renovation concept for a home just north of Key West, we didn't have to think too long before jumping on board and heading south. Working within the confines of the existing building footprint and the rules and regs of one of the most stringent building codes in the nation, we drafted a plan that blurred the lines between indoors and out, reinterpreted the local vernacular, and captured sea breezes and sunset views from a new roof deck tucked below a trellis. Fully renovated from top to bottom, the home exudes the eclectic and vibrant Keys culture and provides a respite for the many visitors who stop in to see the beauty of Key West. Check back in soon for images of the completed renovation!

The Suite Deck

Located on the west end of Lancaster City, this project started as a request for a private master suite and retreat for the owners. Our solution was to go up - taking the third floor for a new master suite, we created a new private bath and did our best to drench the space in natural light by adding new windows and a skylight, as well as some very cool 3-Form resin panels for interior glazing making the original stairwell a giant light shaft through the center of the home. Secluded outdoor space isn't the easiest to come by in the City, so a new yacht stair now accesses a small roof deck to command views of the west end of town. Working in the tight space, took a Euro approach to bathroom design and constructed a series of custom sliding doors to conceal new storage cabinetry, an antique dresser, and integrated the vanity at the end of the cabinet run to maximize the usability of space. Soy-based spray foam insulation, non-toxic paints and finishes, daylighting, outdoor access, and water conserving fixtures were a few of the sustainability highlights of the job.

The Cookery

This small boutique restaurant in the heart of Lancaster City, Ma(i)son, is the dream and passion of its proprietors - and we wanted to help fulfill their vision of simple, rustic, uncompromising food in the fit-out of their dining room. Salvaged wood from local barns adorn the walls and create highlighted pockets, while a spark of creativity and vernacular style pointed to the perfect light fixtures in the bath. Sit down and enjoy phenomenal food and friendly folks in a rough and refined atmosphere.

The Urban Update

This vintage city row home was in severe need of updating when the client contacted us for a complete interior renovation. A custom, KCMA-Eco certified custom kitchen with loads of additional natural light are the highlight of the downstairs space, while new, airy French doors lead to the new deck and help bring the outdoors in. All new trimwork was custom milled and stained to maintain the original character of the space while providing the much needed modernization. A salvaged teak bench adds subtle warmth and detail to the renovated bathroom. As always, non-toxic, no-VOC finishes were used throughout.

The Green Scene

An extension of Fresco Green Building Supplies, this eco-lifestyle store in Lancaster City's Gallery Row showcases all sorts of sustainable wares. We got the call to renovate this space after completing their other showroom several years ago, and outfitted the retail space with uber simple clean lines and materials - exposed edge FSC plywood with a natural soy based sealer, earth plaster wall finishes, non-toxic paints, concrete counters, and exposed metal. Need laundry soap? Head in to get your refillable container and load up on the eco-friendly options they've got.

The Cabin

Unassuming and warm, approachable and durable, this cabin in the woods was commissioned by a busy family looking for a spot to get away. We used Zip System wall sheathing and dense pack cellulose to minimize the auxiliary space's energy consumption, and adorned it with site harvested timbers and millwork. A mixture of heavy framing and conventional studding, the cabin allows for large gatherings of people and entertaining with soaring ceilings, screened and open decks and porches, while simultaneously providing a cozy and intimate feel for the occupants. A small wood stove provides space heating when the winter demands, and rocking chairs on the front porch, side deck, or rear screened porch provide respite when the summer sun pounds down.

The Master Bath

A small, dark, outdated bathroom served the master bedroom when this client called asking if we could help. We snatched some room from a poorly functioning adjacent closet and developed a sun drenched, yet private spa bath retreat to create the new Master Suite. Pebbled floors ease from behind the dividing wall separating the walk-in shower from the rest of the space, while a custom designed floating vanity lends a clean lined aesthetic to coordinate with a re-imagined barn door and modernized soaking tub that basks in the natural light filtering from a new skylight. While we were there, we also designed and renovated an update for the public hall bathroom to knock out two projects in one swoop. Like always, we boosted efficiency levels with extra insulation, introduced exhaust fans to improve indoor air quality, used non-toxic finishes throughout both renovations, and diverted deconstruction waste to recyclers and re-purposers.

The Details & Boards

Just because - here are some detail images from works across the spectrum, drawings on the drafting board that haven't made it into the ground yet, and some others just for fun. I mean, how could we not include the yurt we built in the San Juan Islands for a wonderful client, or a beagle enjoying the 'waste' from a straw bale home? Enjoy!